Think Okinawa's Aeon Mall is Just Like the Mainland? Think Again—Here’s Why You Must Visit

For those planning a trip to Okinawa, I bet not many of you have Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom on your itinerary.

"Isn't it just an Aeon? We have those back home. Why go all the way to Okinawa for that?"

It's understandable to think that. I thought so too before I moved here. But this isn't just any Aeon. This place, which locals call "Rycom," has a completely different atmosphere from the Aeon Malls on the mainland. Moreover, this site used to be a US military golf course. Once you know that history, you can't look at it as just a shopping mall.

What is "Rycom"?

First, let me talk about the name. The katakana "Rycom" (ライカム) sounds mysterious, right? It's actually an abbreviation for Ryukyu Command headquarters. The US military headquarters used to be located around here, and locals called the area "Rycom." Names like "Rycom Intersection" and "Rycom Hill" still remain, and in 2019, the official address of this area was changed to "Aza Rycom." Having a US military abbreviation become an official Japanese address is very unique to Okinawa.

It Was Originally a US Military Golf Course

Where Rycom stands today, there used to be the "Awase Meadows Golf Club," a golf course exclusively for the US Marine Corps. Opened in 1948, it was the first golf course in Okinawa, but Okinawan residents couldn't use it freely. You couldn't play unless you were US military personnel or had a referral—even though it was Okinawan land.

After long negotiations, it was finally returned in 2010. In 2015, it opened as Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom. 11,000 people lined up before the opening. It's a place where a former US military base site was reborn as a shopping mall for the people of the prefecture.

My wife was born in Okinawa, and when Rycom was built, she was shocked, saying, "I never thought such a huge shopping mall could be built in Okinawa." In fact, since Rycom opened, central Okinawa has become much easier to live in. Before that, people living in the central area had to go all the way to Naha for major shopping, but now everything is available at Rycom. Land used by the US military was returned, and the lives of the residents changed. I feel like history connects in this way.

Why It's Different from Mainland Aeon Malls

Rycom is the largest shopping mall in Okinawa Prefecture, with a commercial area of 86,000 square meters. It holds a special position among Aeon Malls as a "Resort Mall." It targets tourists as well as local customers. The first thing that surprises you when you enter is the huge "Rycom Aquarium" on the first floor. With over 100 tons of water, it's one of the largest indoor aquariums in a commercial facility in Japan. With Napoleon fish and zebra sharks swimming around, it's practically a mini-aquarium.

Right next to it is Pokemon Center Okinawa, which carries Okinawa-exclusive goods.

Then there's the international crowd. Because there are US military bases nearby, you hear a lot of English while walking through the mall. Sitting in the food court, there are moments where you wonder, "Is this Japan?" It's like natural speed-learning. This is an atmosphere you can never experience at an Aeon on the mainland.

Things Only Found in Okinawa

Rycom has Okinawa-exclusive shops and items that mainland Aeon malls don't have. Jumbo Steak HAN'S on the 4th floor is a steak chain found only in Okinawa.

They have 9 locations in the prefecture, where you can order steaks from 200g to 1kg, and it comes with a salad bar, curry, and soft-serve ice cream. My wife's grandmother often asks us to "take her to the steakhouse at Rycom," so the whole family goes to HAN'S. Grandma is happy, and the kids are happy.

A&W also recently opened in Rycom. Since A&W is a burger chain found only in Okinawa, people from the mainland might be surprised to see an A&W inside an Aeon.

Personally, I want to recommend KOI Thé. While there are a few stores nationwide, I honestly go to Rycom just to drink KOI Thé sometimes. I buy nothing else and just head home after my tea. It's a luxury, but I can't stop.

Urumarche also recently opened in the Aeon Style food section on the 2nd floor.

The alcohol section has an amazing selection of Okinawan Awamori and Orion Beer, making it great for souvenir hunting. I feel like there's more variety here than at the airport.

Common "Rycom Experiences" for Locals

I'll write honestly from a local's perspective. I think tourists will enjoy it more if they know these things.

1. Getting lost in the parking lot. It's so huge that I forget where I parked every single time. The covered parking near the Nitori or pet shop entrance is so popular that you're lucky if you can park there. My friend always says, "We're losers today, so we're parking in the multi-story lot," when it's too crowded.

1. Kids stopping dead in front of the 1st-floor aquarium. As I mentioned, that huge aquarium is the first hurdle for parents. Be prepared to spend at least 15 minutes here. But even adults will find themselves staring if it's their first time.

1. Realizing 2 hours have passed even though you didn't buy anything. There are chairs everywhere, so you sit when you're tired, walk again, and sit again. Before you know it, it's evening.

1. More vending machines than Parco. This is surprisingly helpful. There are also more Gacha-gacha machines than at Parco, attracting both kids and adults.

1. The low chance of finding a seat at Mister Donut. Every local must think this. The seating area is just too small.

1. The despair when you want to go to Daiso.

When you're shopping and think, "Oh, I want to go to Daiso too," you have to go outside once to get there. Because of this layout, I give up every time.

1. Kings games on the big screen. Sometimes they broadcast Ryukyu Golden Kings games on the screen by the food court. Even though I'm a total introvert, that screen made me interested in the Kings. Rycom's marketing power is terrifying. Or rather, the Kings are everywhere here, so it's impossible not to be influenced.

1. Lots of things kids love. There's a free kids' space to let them play when they get bored. It's a lifesaver. With Crayon Shin-chan, Ghibli shops, and the Pokemon Center, you can easily distract a cranky child.

1. Be careful on weekends and during major events.

The roads leading to Rycom get congested. When that happens, I change my destination to Aeon Gushikawa. Aeon Gushikawa still has that old "Jusco" feel and great kids' carts, which I like in its own way.

What I Want to Tell Tourists

If you ask me if it's worth going to Rycom on an Okinawa trip, I'd say yes.

However, if your only goal is "shopping," it might not feel different from a mainland Aeon. If you go to Rycom, I want you to walk around knowing that this place was once a US military golf course. Okinawan land was returned and reborn as a place for the people. Knowing that history while drinking A&W orange juice in the food court and thinking, "Americans used to play golf here..." makes the trip much more meaningful.

It's also an excellent refuge on rainy days. There's a movie theater, and you can spend the whole day there. Since Nakagusuku Park is nearby, I like the flow of playing at the park in the morning and then going to Rycom for food and shopping in the afternoon. While it might be a waste to spend a whole day of your Okinawa trip at Rycom, you can enjoy it plenty if you stop by for half a day. Especially on rainy days, you should come here without hesitation.

📍 1 Aza Rycom, Kitanakagusuku Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture 🅿 Free (over 4,000 spaces) ⏰ Specialty stores 10:00–22:00 / Grocery 8:00–23:00 🚗 Approx. 30 mins from Naha Airport via highway.

I will continue to share the reality of living in Okinawa and things not found in tourist guides here.

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Thumbnail image credit: upi Co., Ltd.